Once there's an all-Democrat County Board again (never mind Libby Garvey) it will be back to more of the same - a $100 million Longbridge Aquatic Center, $450 million Pike streetcar, lots of $300,000 and $500,000 gimmes on the County Board's consent agenda for the County Board's pet people and organizations.

So don't look for a Pike streetcar referendum, 'cause there's not going to be one.

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Hey! Wait a minute! There has BEEN a referendum. It was the Vihstadt-Howze race - Jay Fisette was quoted by Sullivan in the Post: "Fisette said the special election had “become a referendum” on the $310 million streetcar project, a subject of pointed debate."

I'm sure he wishes he could eat those words. Brecht's poem The Solution comes in handy here:

After the uprising of the 17th of JuneThe Secretary of the Writers' UnionHad leaflets distributed in the StalinalleeStating that the peopleHad forfeited the confidence of the governmentAnd could win it back onlyBy redoubled efforts. Would it not be easierIn that case for the governmentTo dissolve the peopleAnd elect another?

I can't do anything about ArlNow and the Sun Gazette and their biases.

However, we the taxpayers fork over at least $2 million every year for the biased and inaccurate PR that comes out of the County Manager's Office. How many tax dollars have been spent hyping the Aquatics Center? Artisphere? New Urbanism that's destroying our neighborhoods? Affordable Housing that's 'affordable' to people who earn between $55,000 and $65,000 per year? The list goes on and on.

Waaaaa. I want $350,000 for my sculpture "Nested Recycle Bins" put on the County Board's consent agenda so my vibrant work of art can be installed outside the vehicle repair building at the Trades Center.

We have seen the future on the Pike: In 2024 cops will be arguing with motor vehicle owners and streetcar operators over who's at fault over a fender-bender while traffic is backed up for miles during rush hours.